June 11

I arrive at the dermatologists office, Dr.Burn, with some trepidation. Not because of skin cancer really, I already figure that I have some basal cell cancer on my shoulder, but because my brother told me he was at his dermatologist's office for twenty minutes and it cost him $1000. I remind myself that the insurance will cover it and settle into a lounge chair and open my copy of Undaunted Courage, the thoughtful dissertation on the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Stephen Ambrose. Before I know it and to my surprise I'm whisked away to an examination room. Five minutes? I was prepared to wait at least a chapter! But I leave Lewis and Clark on the Missouri River to greet my doctor, a tall red-haired 50ish man with glasses who is peering at me with inquisitive eyes. I get the feeling that as he speaks hollow words he's diagnosing the spots on my cheeks. "We'll just freeze these two spots here", he says cheerfully, "but this one back here on your neck just above the shoulder, we'll have to scrape off." It's over in no time, with no pain, and I shift the conversation to sailing because I see a photo hanging on the wall of a much younger looking fellow with his family on a sailboat. The pleasant small talk continues till I'm ushered out into the bright afternoon.

" Hey, not too bad," I think to myself while I begin dedicating myself to keeping the bandage changed, the antibiotic cream applied, the return appointment in my mental calendar clearly in memory. Having passed a sort of medical milestone, I leave the present for a glimpse of tomorrow. Jacques, my French-born friend of 25 years and I are bringing our new, but used sailboat home. It needs lots of work but what a deal we got. I had forgotten all about the sailing axiom "A boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money!" June 14th